The present invention relates to holding devices for miniature lamps and the like and in particular to a socket and lamp combination.
Lamps particularly small or miniature lamps are used extensively in such applications as control panels, indicating devices sensing devices and etc. Sometimes the lamps are used in conjunction with or integrated with a control member such as the switch or the like. In general, these control devices utilize a plurality of lamps arranged in predetermined patterns representing particular functions and/or operations of the various equipment, control circuits and the like with which they are associated. Not infrequently control panels even for very simple apparatus have an extremely large number of such lamps.
In order to reduce the size of such control panels, they are equiped with lamps of very small or even miniature size. Such devices comprise a bulb mounted on a base having on its posterior face a central contact stud and on the peripheral rim a flange which forms the second contact element of the bulb. The lamps are installed and removed from the control panel through its rear face, requiring the housing, on which the control panel is mounted, to have permanently available to it, access space from the rear. Sometimes, the removal of the socket from its mounting is required in order to gain access for the installation and removal of the lamp.
This latter problem is further complicated when the lamps are integrated with auxillary devices, for example, with push buttons controlling certain functions of the associated equipment.
It is an object of present invention to overcome the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art devices and to provide a socket in combination with a lamp, which permits an easy and simple installation and removal of the lamp from the front of the panel without disturbance to any other portion of the control system.